Wimol said that police rushed to the province of Nakhon Ratchasima on Thursday night after receiving credible information that Neil had fled there.

Residents said they had spotted the Canadian near the home of the Thai man, Wimol said.

Neil lived in Thailand from 2002 to early 2004, police said.

Thai authorities issued an arrest warrant Thursday for Neil after determining that he may have sexually abused boys in Thailand, in addition to the dozen Cambodian and Vietnamese boys, some as young as 6, whom Interpol suspects he abused.

Neil has taught at various schools in Thailand, South Korea and Vietnam since at least 2000. He suddenly left his most recent teaching job in South Korea last week on a one-way ticket for Thailand. Cameras captured his image as he arrived at Bangkok's international airport.

The hunt began three years ago when German police discovered about 200 online photographs of a man sexually abusing children. His face was digitally obscured, but German police were able to reconstruct a recognizable image, and Interpol circulated it last week.